Wired for health
1. Introduction
2. Move well
3. See bright
4. Hear sharp
5. Control pain
6. Home health
7. Buyer's guide
1. Mumbai
2. Delhi
3. Chennai
4. Kolkata
8. Products on the web
1.Introduction
Living with certain aliments can be easier with the help of modern gadgets. Roshni Bajaj takes a look at what's available in the market today.
Hiraben Sanghvi in Mumbai beams as she walks her grand-daughter-in-law to the lift. The 82-year-old's evident pleasure in small joys and her happy spirit are contagious. The affectionate "Aavjo!" is loaded with blessing. Sanghvi walks back to her bedroom and settles herself on her favourite spot on the bench swing, sliding her walker against the wall. "This is what lets me walk," she says. "Without it, I would not be able to do too much."
Though a walker is a fairly simple device, it has changed Hiraben's life. There are many other gadgets available, designed to make life easier for people with specific ailments devices that can help your form match your spirit. Research in ergonomics- an applied science of designing products so that people interact most efficiently and safely with them has worked to make many of these more user-friendly and comfortable. And a good buy has the potential to transform the way you live.
Here's our guide to some of the most useful health gadgets that can easily be used at home:
2.Move well
Walkers, like the one Sanghvi uses, have become ubiquitous. But let's not take them for granted. Dr. Pradip Parikh, physician and cardiologist, and chief medical officer for the Tata Group, points out: "They prevent further accidents that would otherwise be quite likely. These devices enhance mobility, equipping people to take care of themselves completely, including essential matters like personal hygiene and meals."
Walkers don't need you to carry them around anymore. They will walk with you. The arms of the Taiwanese Foshang Dong Fang walker move independently of each other, thanks to flexibility built into the transverse rods. The left and right arm can be pushed alternately with each step; so quite literally, it steps forward with the respective foot. According to Medix Healthcare, Foshang has been around for two-and-a-half years, but sales are still not high as only doctors prescribe these products. A prescription may not be necessary, but a discussion with the doctor about witch one suits you best always helps. The Walking Walkers is available only through Chinese or Taiwanese imports no Indian manufacturer makes them yet although local versions are available across the country.
Dr. Parikh says that walkers should be chosen on the basis of an individual's ability. "The basic steady walker (without wheels) is good for someone who needs a person to support them while using it," he explains. "Wheels at the base of the walker work for a heavy but stable person. The walking walker is one of the most advanced, and ideal for someone who has a leg problem but good hand control."
Another neat idea is the tripod stool cane by Vissco, an Indian company that manufacturers and markets rehabilitation aids. The cane, which is about hip height, unfolds into a small tripod stool. The cane is still light, small and portable, so the stool is not likely to be your favourite seat. It does help, though, when you're done with standing in lines or all the places where seats are hard to come by.
Mumbai's KEM Hospital's physiotherapy department designs individually customized mobility aids based on lifestyle. Dr. Indira Kenkre, professor and head of occupational therapy, says that while these devices are not commercially available in India, rehabilitation centres in any major hospital will provide them. She gives the example of a 'reacher', which helps people who can't bend at the waist. This collapsible light metal cane with prongs at the end has a variety if uses, from reaching for a blanket at bedtime to wearing socks.
3.See bright
Bulky, clumsy magnifying glasses are passé. Your magnifying glass now comes in the form if a convex acrylic ruler or bar that you slide over lines of text for optimum magnifying properties for people who are long-sighted. "They're simple," says Dr. Parikh. "One doesn't need the steady hands and constant distance adjustment that hand-held magnifiers require."
Sometimes all you need to see better is a bookmark. The sheet magnifier is a flexible. Portable transparency engraved with concentric circles. Also called a Fresnel lens, this does the job of magnifying without the bulk of a convex lens. In handiness, sheet magnifiers win hands down. They're available in credit card and A4 sizes.
4.Hear sharp
Is your hearing aid getting heavy on the ear? The DynaVox canal hearing aid is a tiny, skin-coloured knob that fits into your ear cavity and picks up frequencies that larger and older aids don't through its bio-frequency system. It doesn't need any wires, and the battery is the same one that goes in your watch so, once it's inside the ear, it's near invisible. But, as Dr. Parikh warns, speak to your doctor before switching hearing aids don't do it on hearsay.
5.Control pain
A portable device the size of a Walkman can keep pain in control while you're on the move. The Trans-Cutaneous Electrical Stimulation System (TENS) passes a current through electrodes attached to your body. This electrical stimulation passes through subcutaneous nerves that block pain signals in the spinal cord by releasing endorphins. Jai Bhatt of Jai Surgicals, Mumbai, says this works best for pain that is not normally relieved by heat, but needs effective yet safe intervention to stop the brain from receiving the pain messages. "This is best for sciatica, post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve pain (neuritis) or intractable pain," says Dr. Parikh. "Of course, a hot water bag is lighter on the pocket."
6.Home health
Kits to check your blood pressure at home have been available in India across the counter for the past ten years or so, and are easier than a visit to the doctor. And now digital thermometers have made mercury ones redundant. The digital oral thermometer from Citizen, Japan is all plastic, with a large, easy-to-read, 3-digit LCD screen and some degree of flexibility. If the oral one is uncomfortable and asks for an unbearable two minutes of feverish silence, Vitavocks ear thermometer gives you a reading within seconds and stores the last seven readings. According to surgical stores, silver form the majority of customers for these thermometers, because they are so easy to use. Also safer, since they are unlikely to break in the mouth. They have been around for five to six years, but have recently gained popularity.
Diabetes management is about regularly monitoring blood sugar levels. "A glucometer works best for insulin-dependent diabetes which cannot be controlled with medication or diet," says Dr. Parikh. "It is especially useful for people who develop diabetes-related complications like the diabetic foot."
The Accucheck Active portable glucometer is among the easiest to use in the market today. It works in two simple steps. One: use the pain prick (included in the set) to draw blood and apply it on a small card. Two, read. In five seconds, the large display gives you a reading that you can save to measure a two-week average. Chip coding ensures perfect accuracy, while a built-in infrared allows you to transfer you readings to a PC.
Latest technology aside, Dr. Parikh points out that there are a few basic things that you should always have around, just in case. One is an alarm device, preferably built on a cane, to ward away attention of the wrong kind and get help when you'd rather not rely on your vocal chords. Another invaluable and often overlooked old favourite: a torch by your bedside.
7.Buyer's guide
a.Mumbai
Medix Healthcare Rehabilitations, Surgicals & Scientific stocks the Foshang Dong Fang walker for Rs.1, 800.
Address:
133,Ground Floor, Princess Street, Gopal Niwas.
Tel: 022-22083239.
Cheaper Indian versions are also available at major medical stores for Rs 650.
Ronak International Rehabilitation Aids sells the DynaVox mini hearing aid for Rs. 14,000 and the Accucheck Active glucometer for Rs.3,550.
Address: 99, Ground Floor, Princess Street,
Sancheti Bhavan.
Tel: 022-56334513.
Jai Surgicals sells the TENS pain management system for Rs.1,500.
Address:
A- 13, Shri Ram Industrial Estate,
13 Ambedkar Road, Wadala.
Tel: 022-24135080.
All India Surgical Mfg Co stocks Vissco's cane cum stool at Rs.450.
Address: 146, Princes Street,
Opposite Bank of India, Round Building.
Tel:
022-22084586/4891. This is also available at surgical stores around the country
b.Delhi
Khosla Stores stock walkers ranging from Rs.300 to Rs.2,500 and Vissco's cane cum stool for Rs.350. It also keeps a wide range of hearing aids from Rs.500 to Rs.8,000, a variety of glucometers ranging from 2,000 to Rs.5,500, and TENS at Rs.3,400.
Address:
47/B, Khan Market.
Tel: 011-24615289, 30951360.
Nath Brothers cells Omron thermometers for Rs.300.
Address:
2 G, Connaught Place.
Tel: 011-23327284.
Hintek Electronics Pvt Ltd sells two models of TENS. XLY2 costs Rs.6,000 and XLY3 costs Rs.7,000.
Address: A 10, Green Park Main.
Tel: 011-26562567, 31019606.
c.Chennai
Pikay's Medico Surgicals keep all the gadgets mentioned expect digital hearing aids.
Address:
854 Anna Salai.
Tel: 044-28413864,28413510.
Apollo Surgicals stock all gadgets except digital hearing aids.
Address:
851, Anna Salai.
Tel: 044-28594553.
Health Aids keeps a good range for diabetics and ortho patients.
Address:
Shop No. 3. Zion Complex,
Thirumalai Pillai Road.
Tel: 044-28235731.
d.Kolkata
Hintek Electronics Pvt Ltd stocks two models of TENS.
Address:
142, Motijeheel Avenue,
Dum Dum Area.
Tel: 033-31052703.
Products on the web
* Simple abilities Inc (www.simpleabilities.com/internnational_orders.html)
Offers worldwide shipping on the bar magnifier at US $9.95 (Rs.455) plus shipping. It also stocks other assisted living devices.
* 3Dlens (www.3dlens.com/enter.html)
Sells sheet magnifiers starting at US$ 0.9 each (Rs.41), depending on the size and quantity of your order.
* Indiatimes Health & Personal Care (shopping.indiatimes.com)
Sells the Citizen Digital and Vitavocks thermometers for Rs.250 and Rs.1,700 respectively.
All the retail outlets mentioned here will ship nationwide on payment by DD/money order. Harmony does not accept responsibility for problems with orders and shipments. But do write to us with your complaints and suggestions.
Contact.us@harmonyindia.org or contact.mag@harmonyindia.org
Featured in Harmony Magazine
August 2004.
Source : http://societyforservingseniors.satyamcsr.org/resources/Assistive-devices/Assistive-devices-harmony.txt